Former South Africa captain Ali Bacher on Friday said Graeme Smith's men can win the World Cup if they maintain the ruthless form they showed in their destruction of England.

The Proteas swept past England with a nine-wicket win here Tuesday to set up a mouth-watering semi-final clash with defending champions Australia at St Lucia on April 25.

Bacher, also a former South Africa cricket board chief and who knows how to beat Australia having recorded 4-0 win as captain in 1970, said South Africa can beat Australia.

"If South Africa play as they did against England, I can't see any team stopping them, not even Australia," said Bacher.

After losing to Bangladesh in the Super Eights, South Africa crushed England in a must-win match. They bowled out Michael Vaughan's men for a paltry 154 with medium-pacer Andrew Hall returning career-best figures of 5-18.

Smith then completed the rout with a blistering 58-ball 89 not out to see his team through in the 20th over, a display Bacher feels can help make the Proteas world champions.

"That is the way to approach a game. You shouldn't give your opponents any chance. The South Africans were clinical, and that is what will be needed in the semi-final," said Bacher, the man behind the successful World Cup management in South Africa four years ago.

Bacher hoped Australia's unbeaten run in the World Cup comes to an end sooner than later.

"It is high time South Africa bring the Australian victory march at the tournament to an end," said Bacher of an Australia run which has them win the last two World Cups in 1999 and 2003 and bidding for a hat-trick here.

In contrast, the South Africans have never progressed to the final, losing to England in the 1992 semis, and then bowing out on slender run-rate after their semi-final against Australia ended in a tie in 1999.

They lost to Australia in the preliminary rounds in the current World Cup.

In 2003, they misinterpreted the rain rules in a match against Sri Lanka and failed to get beyond the first round.